Thoughts regarding political philosophy in the age of human extinction

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The Lag Effect of Climate Change, The Lag Effect of Violence

-The worst effects of climate change will be dealt to the world from greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere now. The effects of climate change that are witnessed today are a result of greenhouse gases released 30 years ago. Climate scientists call this the lag effect, or inertia in ecological systems. Many scientists suggest that the worst effects of climate change will be witnessed by the end of this century, however, a growing number of scientists are not so optimistic, and place these effects at the middle of the century. This means that for people approximately 30 or under now, the prime of their life will be defined by climate change, systemic collapse, violence, and certain untimely death.

- We already know who is responsible. Oil companies who know damn well what they are doing, then pay for massive disinformation and denial campaigns. A financial sector that props up an increasingly nonviable fossil fuel economy. Governments that are so beholden to corporate interest that they would never dream of taking any action that would seriously curtail the use of fossil fuels. A rampant militarism (particularly the brand that the US has adopted) that brutally defends against any disruption to the oil economy, and resorts to extreme measures like invasion and occupation in order to secure energy supplies. Law enforcement that serves as a personal domestic army for the rich and powerful. Ad infintum.

- Those who are responsible for climate change are protected by the lag effect. They are free to orchestrate the burning of fossil fuels because they know that the victims won't know they have been attacked until it is too late. In this sense, any act of resistance towards the fossil fuel economy and those who run it can be considered an act a preemptive self-defense. I'm sure that many readers at this point will attack this idea as abstract and speculative, I would beg of you to consider the position of those who see their future being destroyed,and who feel that there is nothing left to lose.

1 comment:

Tim, We exchanged a few comments yesterday. More than I can express, I feel your vibes, and your positions. I'm a lot older than you, 74, but my heart has never really aged as much as my body. And so I can still resonate with the frustrations that you feel, because I still feel them today. I have learned though, and feel that change must come from the grass roots over which people walk. As you may have sensed with the comments that you received regarding your anger and rage, people are willing to encourage and change, but only if they (we) have a direction in which to go. The fossil fuel big shots are merely the tip of the iceberg. Their shares pay well, they pay heavy taxes, which in turn allow governments to give services to people. So we can't expect politicians to shoot themselves in the foot, and so the parade of deniers sing as loudly as they are paid. The only way, or better said at least one way to change that condition is to drive an idea that can transcend the status quo. We must use an arrow that can penetrate thousands of years of evolution and that will provide a different perspective for people. The people who are pocketing millions from fossil fuels and who know the possible consequences are taking the chance that the predictions of doom and gloom are wrong, and are betting that the iceberg is still far off into the distance. On the personal side, I have written a manuscript and an idea on how to transcend this paradox between what people actually do, and what people hope for. Perhaps you may be interested at some point to take a shot at reading its premise and perhaps be among the first to get on board. You may think this is kind of kooky, but it isn't... Of course I would not like to think of myself as being kooky, and hopefully I am not.